Wire-clasvip



(Mme') A. AQARMSTRQNG;

WIRE GLAMP.

No. 546,217. Patented Sept. l0, 1895.

:infami l A TTOHNEYS.

ANDREW SLRAHAM. PIOTQUMOKWASMNGIUKD C UNITED STATES nTnN'r @risica AMASA A. ARhlSTRONC-l, OF IONIA, MICHIGAN.

WIRE-CLAN] P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,217', dated September 10, 1895.

Application filed April 27, 18 95.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, AMAsA A. ARMSTRONG, of Ionia, in the county of Ionia and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in fire-Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wire -elamps for grasping a wire forA the purpose of stretching it, being especially adapted for use in placing fence and telegraphv wires upon posts and poles.

The object of the invention is to provide a clamp which can be readily applied to and removed from the wire and which, when applied, will hold the Wire firmly and securely.

A. further object of the invention is to provide a clamp of this character which is very simple, cheap, and durable.

The invention consists in the particular construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter' fully described, and pointed `out in the claims.

Figure l is a plan view ol' the improvement, showing the parte in position to clamp a wire. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the clamp being re-` versed and one lever being broken away.V Fig. Slis a plan view showing a wire clamped therein. Fig. #l is a side elevation. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a plan view, parts being broken away, of a modiiication.

The body A of the clamp consists of a flat plate, preferably of the shape shown and having its center out out, so as to reduce the weight thereof. In each side of the plate a diagonal slot c is formed, the said slots extending from a point above the center of the length of the plate down toward and to with in a short distance of each other at the lower end of the plate. Upon each side ot' the plate and near the upper end thereof is pivoted a pair of cam-levers, between the adjacent faces ot' which a wire is adapted to be clamped and held. These levers are designated as B B and B2 Bs and each is provided with a lon gitudinal slot b. In order to give a better gripping-surface the adjacent edges of the cam-levers are preferably widened, as shown at b2, and the said edges may, it' desired, be roughened. Pivoted to a block C are four links D D D2 D3. The upper ends of the links D D2 are connected by a pin or bolt d,

Serial No. 547,344. (No model.)

and the upper ends of the links D D3 are connected by a pin or bolt d2, and these pins or bolts d d2 pass through the slots b of the cam-levers and the slots ct of the body, as clearly shown in the drawings. Upon each of the pins or bolts d d2, I preferably mount three friction wheels or rollers d3.

To the block C is swiveled the eye or ring E, to which an ordinary stretchingtaclrle may be attached. In use the cani levers are opened, so as to receive a wire between their upper ends, as shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings. New, when power is applied to the ring E the rollers on the pins or bolts d d2, traveling in the slots of the said. levers and body, will cause the lower ends of the cam-levers to be drawn toward each other and. the wire firmly clamped, as shown in Fig. 3. Instead of forming the jaws on the levers separate and independent jaws F may be exn ployed, as shown in Fig. 5. In this case the slotted shanhs of the jaws F are arranged between the levers and body, with the pivots of the said levers passing through the slots thereof, so that when the cam-levers are forced toward each other the jaws will also be moved toward each other to clamp a wire.

By my construction the clamp is capable of withstanding considerable strain without liability ot breaking, and as the wire enters between the cam-levers from the side the clamp can be readily applied to the wire and be as easily and readily removed.

By employing two pairs ot cam-levers the range of usefulness of the clamp is increased, as one pair can be used for one size oli' wire and the other for another. use two pairs of cam-levers, yet I do not restrict myself to the same, for it is obvious that one pair might be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A Wire clamp comprising a body provided with diagonal slots converging toward each other, cam levers pivoted on the body and provided with longitudinal slots, ablock, and links pivoted to the block and provided with pins working in the slots of the levers and body, substantially as described.

2. A wire clamp, comprising a body provided While I prefer to ICH] with diagonal/slots converging toward each l each side of the body at its upper end, abloel; other, Cain levers pivoted on the body and carrying a swivel ring, two pairs of links pivprovided with longitudinal slots, a block, two oted to the block, each pair having their nppairs of links pivoted to the block, each pair per ends Connected by pins working in the 15 5 having their upper ends eonneeted by pins slots of the lever and in the slots of the body, working in the slots of the levers and the and rollers mounted on the pins connecting slots of the body, substantially as described. the said links, substantially as described.

3. A Wire clamp, comprising @body having AMA-SA A. ARMSTRONG. diagonal slots in opposite sides, said slots con- Witnesses: zo verging toward eaoll other at the lower end CLARK SEYMOUR, Jr.,

of the body, a. pair of earn levers pivoted on LORENTUS B. SOULE. 

